Selective Recovery of Platinum (IV) from HCl Solutions Using 2-Ethylhexylamine as a Precipitant

The selective separation and recovery of specific platinum-group metals (PGMs) from metal mixtures is a significant challenge owing to the similarity of these metals in terms of chemical and physical properties. Among the typical PGMs (Pd, Pt, and Rh), the selective recovery of Pt prior to the recovery of Pd and Rh is in high demand. In this study, we attempted the selective precipitation of Pt(IV) from mixed-metal HCl solutions using 2-ethylhexylamine (2EHA) as a precipitant and achieved the selective precipitation of Pt(IV) from Pd(II) and Rh(III) over a wide range of HCl concentrations. Selective precipitation of Pt(IV) was also achieved from HCl solutions with high levels of base metals, such as Al, Cu, Fe, and Zn. High yields of undegraded 2EHA remaining in the HCl solution after Pt(IV) precipitation were recovered using hydrophobic porous resins. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermogravimetric measurements revealed that the Pt(IV)-containing precipitate was an ion-pair comprising one [PtCl₆]²⁻ and two ammonium cations of 2EHA. The steric hindrance and high hydrophilicity of 2EHA suppressed the formation of Rh(III)- and Pd(II)-containing precipitates, respectively, resulting in the selective precipitation of Pt(IV).